Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-11-05
TRIALS OF Physicians.


cohhtefed u Ffaetleins Medicine,
"The first five years are the darkest i
young Doctors lie, said well know
physician. 1T does not matter how
nicely he IS getting on, he Is sure to hay,
built his expectations too high. A lnedi
cal man always thinks he IL doing bette
than he is. Leaving the simon Dur,
charity cases out of the question alto
geiher l have always thought myself
lucky if | collected one-half Of nv nc
counts. While a reputable doctor look.
upon advertising in q general way a,
something tabooed, many Of us. | doubt
not, IN our Young days have resorted tc
driving rapidly through various streets
m the middle Of the day. Inever knew
Tins little scheme to hang fire, and by the
time got back 10 the Office / Frequently
found two or three calls on the slate.
IAN oilicious friend Of mine. f" contin-
ued the doctor, ''onco advised me to set
tie IN the country, where the competition
waan I so great. Ia six months / came
near starving to death. The place was
80 sparsely peopled and the patients SO
Tar apart that my time and clothes were
worth more than my fees. BY selling
my library managed to- buy horse and
buggy and go to work on the co-opera-
tive plan. ] divided the county off into
four districts, each of which visited
once week. My method was to keen n
family in thorough repair for stipulated
sum per month. Nearly all the inhabi.
tants became subscribers, and | might
have thrived well on my little nonopolv
if another smart doctor hadn't stenned IN
and reduced the rate. returned to the
city, there settled down and married. and
after having had couple of well known
men die on my hands, found myself "a
nous and in possession Of a lucrative
practice.
mo, | don't think there is "a much
bleeding of patients as Ia commonly SIM
posed. or course human nature is the
same in doctor as in any one else He
Is always number one, and the patient
number two. There are some neonle
whom you have got to keep on the sick
list all the time. They would not be
happy unless they could tell their friends
all about the torpidity of their liver and
the unsoundness Of their lungs A doctor
must himor such patients, and assure
them they are really ill whenever thew
take fancy to being SO. This is a kind
OF bleeding that win never stop SO long as
there are such people in the world. The
old doctor studied under used to fell
good story at his own expense. In his
early days Of struggle friend twitted
him upon taking SO long to cure a patient.
why man., replied the old doctor. Il
have SO few patients that | can t afford to
cure any of them
speaking of quacks, continued the
doctor after pause, ''you would be sur
prlsed what a strong hold the empirical
fraternity has upon nervous people.
lhey are easily convinced that there is
awful the matter with them.
IN aggravated case of this kind recently
anne under my notice. A man, whose
business often called him from home for
months at time, rushed wildly into nv
oilice one day and begged me to visit his
VIE. lie said that if / couldn't get her
put Of her megrims he would either have
. procure divorce or commit suicide
Il seemed that the woman, during one OF
ler husband's periodical absences. fell
nto the clutches Of q female lecturer
Who bled her for all she was worth.
When the husband returned he found her
ne shadow of her former self. She was
Melancholy and peevish, and was slowly
wearing herself away. The whole house
vas turned into an apothecary shop, and
he woman herself was a walking adyer-
lsement Ct the empilics wares. AT
light she made herself ilideous by wear
ng a complexion mask and medicated
cloves that made her hands look like
ugar cured hams. There was scarcely
q inch Of her whole body that was as
nature mode it. When l examined her
nc had ON liver pad, two lung pads. a
'orous plaster for q weak back, another
Or q weak stomach (for the sake Of
suppose, bets and bands on
rms and legs to prevent varicose veins,
lght boots to keep the feet warm. and
Magnetic clothing wherever there was
DOM for it. The bed itself was fearfully |
nd wonderfully made, with all patent
ppllances. ! felt very sorry for the hus-
and, who seemed to think great deal
l,s wife. lie was very patient with her, |
Though more than once he confessed |
was hard for q man to love, cherish |
: protect woman who logged herself
ut IN such fashion It was a hard
use to treat, but vo finally conquered"
Ncw York Evening Sun.